The Swiss government has submitted a request to UNESCO for the country’s famous yodelling tradition to be recognised as part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage list.
According to figures provided by the government, Switzerland is home to around 12,000 yodellers and 780 groups belonging to the Swiss Yodelling Association. The country has officially backed its inclusion on UNESCO’s list of intangible cultural heritage.
While Switzerland has four official languages, German, French, Italian, and Romansh, some advocates are calling for yodelling to be recognised as a language in its own right.
Since 2018, the University of Lucerne has even offered courses in yodelling.
UNESCO’s decision is expected to be announced by the end of the year.
